Those who came before you are still there you know. They’re just locked into your spirit and mind. If a sand dream takes over you friends. Allow the lore keepers to enter your mind with the works of all that come. There will be times when those we banish will need this type of hope. Those will never come to pass hopefully. Someday a Dunewalker is those we cursed because we couldn’t be strong enough, A Dunewalker is how our kind fails. If we have to force one to suffer a curse. Because we couldn’t accept what choices they made. Most of them have been powerful leaders. But the name has been cursed by those who refuse to listen. It is time my friends for the camels to fight!!

Written during the war. When Zebras and ponies invade. Written to all camels by a Dunewalker.

“You’re not welcomed here, Dunewalker. You better leave before I send the guards after you right now. I will count down very soon here.”

I just stare as I walk past the so-called captain of the guard to go speak to the real leader of the lore keepers. The guard stops me with their spears. I take a deep breath sighing looking back at the captain.

“I had a sand dream. I need to speak to the leader of the Lore keepers and then follow the steps of those who wish to talk with those from the past.”

The guards lower their weapons while they look at their captain. He just stares at me. His eyes were wide open, a sand dream. Talking to those who came before. This talk is rare to hear and it means one is about to either die or do something that could cause ripples from years to come.

“I’m sorry Dunewlker I didn’t know when Pinda banished you from our species I thought it was full and never going to help you again. Can you explain the sand dream at least to me before you go meet up with her?”

Her? I don’t remember the lore keeper leader being female. I haven’t been in this area for very long. I never was given a warm welcome by those who keep the lore. I hope someday my family who comes after me will be welcomed.

“The sand dream. It’s a dream I wish to not only change. I know full well if I can change and break the Dunewalker cures then when my wife’s eggs hatch those that come after me won’t be stuck in this curse. Then the Dunewalker curse will be fully broken and never be able to be placed on another soul again.”

The guards and the captain look at each other.

“The sand dream must have disturbed you if you’re willing to go far to destroy the Dunewalker spell. Maybe you will be able to say the true name you carried at birth before the one who birthed you gave up on you.”

I stood right at the entrance of the cave. My mother, I wish I could forgive her for how she treated me and my siblings. I lost my siblings and the other camels went through to find them to kill them. They were after me. Some camels hate the Duneawlker so much they will destroy their lives to the point they kill themselves. I turn to look at the captain again, a weak smile forming on my face. I have every right to kill my kind for how I am treated. I am better than this. I wish I was better before I did what I did to Ruby.

“She didn’t give up on me, captain. When I was younger a group of camels killed my entire family. They kept me alive though. They wanted me to suffer and told my mother to go and give herself to the forest.”

The captain stares at me. I could tell from the look in his eyes the horror from being hunted because some can’t handle a mark on the species. A mark on the species who did nothing wrong but protect their kind from Luna in the past.

“I see.”

I turn fully looking at the captain of the guard of this cavern. My family knew him and that is all I know. Since most of those memories have been locked away. His family treated me like friends then the curse. I have every right to harm him if I wish to.

“I forgive you and your family for what they did to me. I forgive all the camels who did what they did to those who came before me. I wish someday the one who caused the Dunewalker curse on my family will be forgiven.”

The captain looks down, nodding.

“Be well Dunewalker be well.”

I watch the guards and the captain leave. I look back to the cavern of the Lore-Keepers. The memory connection started here. I don’t remember much about it, just a cube and the water. I head inside. When I get fully into the cavern sitting on a rock in the middle of freshwater is the cube. The cube that did this to us. I stare at it while it just sits there. I heard stories back in the day when it used to glow if something awful was about to come. A sand dream normally connects to this thing.

“Such an amazing item of the past?”

I look around hearing the voice turning to see a female camel in the cloak of the elder lore keeper. I quickly bow to her. She laughs softly, helping me back fully on my paws. I look at the elder. I have no idea the elder was female.

“So there are no more leaders of the keepers but elders now? How the mighty have fallen.”

I smile. The elder laughs as she shakes her head. She is not upset at what I voiced. I have a feeling she knows full well the keepers have fallen on hard times. She just stares at me looking into my eyes.

“I am Maerifa. I am the master keeper these days. Leaders don’t come out of the wombs anymore because of our egos and those who wish to curse ones like you Dunewalker. My question: why are you here?”

I look away sighing.

“I am here because of a sand dream. I wish to use what I saw in the dream to change the dream and break the curse of the Dunewalker. The only way I feel we can work together again is if we fully break the curse of all those who came before.”

Maerifa nods

“We have destroyed ourselves because of pride. The one who came before you never wished to harm anyone. But those never understood it was to protect our species from being killed. I may not respect the idea of joining a rebellion to fight Celestia. At times though we have no choice and if we have no choice most know this.”

This one knows what she speaks of. I look over to the cube and take a deep breath blowing out the air staring at the cube. I walk to the cube staring fully at it. I have no idea what to think of it. I know this cube will someday light the way for us I am told.

“This is the creation which gave us the genetic memory. It just shows up one day and the ones who came before gave us this choice without even telling us? Is this the correct keeper?”

I glance at Maerifa. She frowns, nodding, coming over to me looking at the cube. She reaches the cube to try to live it and it’s far too heavy to do anything. I reach for the cube too. I can’t even lift it. I have a feeling it’s a symbol of something we will never get rid of.

“Yes, a symbol of the past. A symbol many of us can’t remove ourselves from. We came clean during the alliance meeting. We told everyone about this and how we got the connection. Many still hate we gave up our secrets. A secret that has almost destroyed us? Many remember what we did to the one before you Duneawlker. We almost killed him and we learned after he saved us all.”

I sigh deeply looking back at the cube then at the keeper.

“I wish to do the walk of those who came before me. I wish to walk off the keeper.”

Maerifa blinks, staring at me.

“Ones who know their death is coming Dunewalker will be asking about this. If you’re asking about this then you die in your sand dream. If this is true then we will get ready for it. I hope you understand you may not like what you see.”

I look back at the cube nodding.

“I understand this fully. I know it will take a few days to gather everything you need for the walk. I am willing to work till you get everything. I am unsure what to think of all this ahead. I got a family. I got little ones on the way. I wish to break the curse and the Duenwalker spell.”

The keeper nods.

“It’s not going to be easy to break the curse of Dunewalker. I am sure you will remember your name over time. I hope you understand that a sand dream may mean the future. But you can keep yourself from dying. There are many ways and I know a few. I will explain them to you as the days go by.”

I look back at the cube sighing.

“Make me a potion so I can dream and speak with a friend. I need to say a few things to her. Are you able to still make those?”

Maerifa’s eyes open wide. A smile formed on her face. I think she knows the potion I mean. It’s a potion I can speak to those who are dreaming but I must have the DNA of the creature. I do have the DNA. I open my bag and pull out a small vial of glowing blood.

“I need to dream to speak to this one.”

She stares at the vial tilting her head at the glowing vial. A realization came over her. She looks up at me and I nod we don’t speak of it because the Storm King's minions might be here. She takes the vial, nodding at me. She leads me to a place to stay for a few days so I can do chores and whatever else to be ready for the walk of the past.

I am given a task to take care of the books in the library and clean some of them up and rewrite them. It’s not an easy task. I have one of the others here with me speaking to me about the best way to do it.

“Don’t worry about getting ink on you. I have it on me because I never took the time to clean it off me. I don’t get much help with this. Since these books are very old and some of them are falling apart.”

I look over at the bookkeeper.

“Are there no more bookkeepers or ink keepers you said?”

She chuckles.

“There are many more to come since I am breeding more for the future. Just most forget the books are our past and our future. These books someday are going to save our lives. When a big threat comes we will need these books.”

I glance at the books. Why would we need them?

“Why would you need these books? To use them as a weapon?”

The keeper laughs, shaking her head.

“No, it’s the information of battle and strategy in a lot of these books, Dunewalker. I hope though we never have to use them. It’s been so long since most of these books have been read in a typical way even for battle. I am hoping the day never comes when we need to open these up and read them.”

I glance at the books again, opening one of the older books. It’s a story of a mare and a camel who fell in love during the war. The mare is a zebra. The camel got captured during the war and became a slave. The camel and she fell in love and she let him go. She went with him and thanks to her is why we won the battle between the ponies and the zebras forcing them back. I take the quill pen touching up the book with new ink.

“Miss Ink keeper, what will be the next task I have to do while they get ready for the walk of those who came before?”

The keep looks up from the books she thinks a moment.

“Potion making from what I have been told you want to make a dream potion. I hope you understand it’s not going to be easy to make these potions. Since the Storm King took over, finding what is needed is ten times harder than it used to be.”

Sigh stroking my head with the metal hoof. I knew this would happen. I wish I could go back and not work with Wheel Tread. I will regret the rest of my life. I am sure someday if I survive what is coming I will be able to fix things.

“I am sorry..”

The keeper looks over to me with a frown forming on her face.

“I have no problem with what you did to the hero Dunewalker. I understand why you felt working with Wheel Tread was a good idea. You didn’t trust a random hero or creature coming in to try to fix this land. Many don’t want this land to be fixed. No one wants this land to be fixed; they want it to stay the same. I don’t fully understand why. Maybe someday I will understand.”

I know why no one wants this land to change. It’s because they don’t want a hero to fix the land. They want just a simple creature with no hero bone in their body to fix and heal the land. Sometimes though you need a hero to fix the land. Just the hero needs to understand they can’t fix everything. They need help from time to time as well.

“I am happy you don’t have a problem with what I did. I felt what I did was not only right. But correct. Then I remember camels like us are so full of our own way’s we can’t see what is five feet in front of us half the time.”

The keeper chuckles.

“The lore Keepers have been saying this since the time of Nightmare Moon. Of course, back then we didn’t need keepers. Many refuse to look at the past to see if your ancestor had no choice in the matter. Luna threatening his family? Princess Luna doing so much to try to make it harder for camels? I wonder if the reason she allowed so many camel projects to get off the ground is because of how she treated us.”

I sigh, stroking my head again.

“I will be happy when this curse breaks. My coming family will never have to deal with it. They will never be hunted.”

The potion maker comes into the library. Looking up he has herbs growing in his fur. The smell of him is awful even if some of it is a calming smell. Vials and potion vials all over his body in various packs and belts.

“I will be taking you to my workshop soon, Miss Walker. Forgive the smell. I haven't had a shower in almost a year. We have been trying our best to keep our water stores from getting too dirty. I am sorry you will have to deal with me for a while.”

He smirks showing his very clean teeth. At least he is keeping his teeth clean. I am sure if he didn’t he would be told to deal with it. He looks at the books noticing I have a few more before I can go help him.

“I heard what happened in your sand dream, Dunewalker. I hope you’re ready for whatever is going to happen. I understand sand dreams are rare and only happen if the sand blows the right way. So the maiden of the sand wishes you to see the future or the truth in your mind.”

I set down the quill pen letting out a soft sigh. Closing my eyes thinking of the maiden of the sands. Most don’t know this about us. But we have a deity called the maiden of the sands. It’s rare to speak about her. I wish someday I could tell my children or those who come after my children about the creator of Equus.

The maiden and I haven’t spoken in years. Maybe I should speak to her again before all this goes down. I might have to give my heart and soul to her again. I haven’t given it to her in years. I haven’t even told others about her grace.

“The maiden and I haven’t spoken to each other in years. Now others outside of the camel race won’t understand. We are close to the world like the zebras. The maiden of the sand was created because of what Luna did to this land so long ago.”

The potion maker nods.

“Not fully true, many did believe in her before all that. It became even more into our kind mindset when the legend of the curse happened. Now I can understand the issue of legends. They aren’t always right and this legend was more. It would happen because of a dumb camel. Not because of a mare throwing a tantrum because she didn't feel loved.”

I laugh softly.

“Yeah, I figured. I do have deep respect for Luna. If she was still alive I would be bowing to her and working to her. She deserves most of the treatment of a queen. She took over for her sister and I understand why. I just wish we never had to deal with their war.”

The potion maker nods.

“I will see you later, Dunewalker. I will try to see if I can take a quick bath before you come. I don’t want you to smell me the entire time you’re in my workshop. Now you better get back to work. You might find something in these books you could use.”

I nod waving goodbye to him while he leaves. I go back to work on the book, putting it back to the others. I move to another book to see what is there then I see a title that catches my eyes. It’s called the Princess ponies of Dream Valley.

“We have a history of Dream Valley here?”

The keeper looks over to the book a smirk forms on her face.

“The book is the history of those princess ponies from Dream Valley and how they used those wands of theirs. I have read the book and they don’t use words, they use their minds from what I read to use those wands.”

I read through what I can of the book. It’s how they fought Laven the first time but one issue about this. They may have defeated him from what the book saids. But he came back a year or so later with help and killed them. Leaving the wands behind but who wrote this?

I look at the author of the book. ‘Beezen.’

I don’t know Beezen very well or at all. I just remember stories of him being one of the judges. He also wrote history. How did we come across this?

“Keeper, a judge of the stars wrote this. How did our kind come across this?”

The keeper lifts her head looking at the book. She chuckles softly. She shook her head. I am unsure she even knows how it got here.

“Beezen may be a judge or used to from what I learned. He is not evil or was per say. He was more open to the history of the land. I did read a story of what he did to the ponies of old. Making their home take over and kick them out. He was evil then and then had things turned on him. I am sure after everything was said and done he no longer wishes to do such things.”

I sigh, stroking my head. Beezen is now at least from what I told Ruby. I still wish I didn’t do what I did to her. She is now gone and there are so many rumors about her. It’s amazing to me the rumors are going to keep spreading, upsetting Wheel Tread more than the Storm King.

“I see I am starting to wonder who is going to win this coming war. The heroes of the Storm King while he just sits there and does nothing but try to figure out how to turn the Rainfall project on. Wheel Tread is just acting like a crazy nut while the Storm King I am sure is not evil anymore.”

Ink keeper nod sighing

“I know good camels like us Dunewalker are going to be fighting each other. Since so many camel tribes agree with the words of Storm King. They could care less what Wheel Tread thinks. The Storm King from what I have learned has become ten times smarter than he used to be. I wonder if it has something to do with the Howling Dance.”

I try to ignore the idea the Storm King is now good. I have been wondering about it. Maybe the Howling danced the cracked orb, an orb which made wolves like creatures from ponies. I wonder if it’s a tear of Luna and some of Luna’s heart is within it. Maybe part of her good heart is in it and the evil is not.

It took a few more hours before I was finally finished with the books. The ink keeper was very kind and she wrote a letter I dictated to her. I told her I want this letter given to my wife after everything is said and done. The next one I was going to help is the potion maker. I look through many of his recipes. One of them is an old potion I am amazed I never thought of. A potion that would show like you’re dead blood will drain from your eyes and mouth. Then you would let out a smell of death.

“It won’t be easy to make the one you’re looking at. I doubt I could find anything for it. I could try if you would like.”

I look at the potion crafter then back at the recipe. I shake my head, setting it down. I am sure I will rethink the idea of this potion. The potion maker wasn’t always there so I just created any potion I could. Most of them exploded on me causing my fur to turn red and then pink sometimes. Then I made one that caused a bad smell. The crafter comes back in after he went to go speak with his wife and he laughs at how messed up my fur is.

“Well you sure had some mistakes, it's normal for a job like this. I had a potion turn me red for at least a year. Then it turned my scent into sugar, at least that’s what it smelled like. My wife said it smelled like dung.”

I chuckle weakly

“I see why many don’t offer to help you. Since many could cause not only death to themselves but also destroy their scents and blind themselves.”

He laughs.

“It’s rare for blindness to happen thankfully. You can lose your taste and sense of smell. I cause ten times more problems than normal. Now I know it’s getting harder for you to want to stay here and wait. I have been asked to start making the potion.”

I nod and go do my job. I cleaned some of the vials. I glance over at what he is doing. He is getting ready to work on the potion. I don’t know fully what he is working on. I watch while their leader finally comes in with everything. She whispers to him about something and he nods, mixing potions with the dream one I will be drinking before I fight to speak to Ruby.

“Okay Dune it’s going to take at least three days for the potion to let you speak to those of the past. I hope you’re ready for everything. The minions of the Storm King haven’t done much of anything since they won.”

Yes, they won and they have become lax and it’s been three years I am sure more years will pass before the end of the Storm King. I regret so many things, at least they want to try to fix this land. I know it’s the judges causing more of the problems. I haven’t heard much about them lately. Other than Crunch the Rock dog being himself and hating everything. So says the song he keeps singing.

I look back at watching him do such a song. He called it the I hate everything song. I shook my head, setting the clean vials of former potions back on the shelf. I remember laughing at his song and he wanted to turn me to stone because of it.

“So who will I be helping after you?”

The crater shrugs his shoulders.

“Maybe our weapon maker. She is a very angry gal. She had her entire family but she died from a sickness many years ago. She lost one of her eyes and an ear and then her left leg. She thought fuck it. If the maiden of the sand hates me so much. I will make weapons to destroy your enemies and those who worship her brilliantly.”

I just stare at the crafter of potions. I get it when you lose your mind after losing your family and parts of yourself. I never lost my mind at all when Desert Rose and the others saved me from my stupidity, I look at the cybernetic foot remembering how I treated them. I treated them worse than I did Ruby.

“Something on your mind Dunewalker?”

I come out of my stupor smirking.

“I know how It feels to lose a part of yourself. When it happened to me I got my ass saved by ones I called my friends. I didn’t treat them as my friends. I treated them like a problem, one I hoped would go away.”

The potion maker sighs. I could tell he knows what it’s like to push others away. Many never understand camels really and their need to focus on the past. If only we could remove ourselves from our past or those who came before us. It would be so much easier for us to live.

“Have you ever gone for a walk?”

I glance at the crafter. The walk of the past is not easy. It could even destroy you mentally if you allow the past to fully take over. The walk can induce a great amount of pain to make those who walk feel every inch of the pain that came before them. I am hoping the feeling of pain won’t come to pass but I know some things locked inside my head will force it to the forefront.

“No, I haven't. I know neither of those who came before me follow this walk either. The only reason I am doing it is to finally break the spell. It would mean I would have to shatter the Dunewalkler spell in each of those who came before me. Then like I have been told by one of the keepers the book the spell is held within will burn taking all the spells with it.”

The crafter nods.

“The Dunewalker curse is a spell made in a dark unforgiving past to punish those who don’t follow the ways of camels. Instead, it was used to punish a camel who just tried to save his species from a crazy princess. Some look at you like you’re a curse. I heard stories of others in your family being killed because of the curse. I even heard the hero killed a family member of yours who escaped the treatment.”

I felt those words hit me harder than I thought they would. I knew she killed a camel and never knew they were a remaining family member of mine. Wheel Tread again didn’t care who got into the hero's way. As long as he got his wish and what he wanted it was the only way he could get the Rainfall project going. Then he destroyed his work destroying the hero's friendship. The only thing to turn the damn thing on.

Tears fell from my eyes down my face. I knew Ruby well. I knew her so well, at least I thought I did. The poor creature is getting brainwashed. I wonder if some of that brainwashing still affects her after coming out of that cocoon.

“I am sorry did I say something wrong Dunewalker?”

I shook my head.

“No, I just didn’t know the camel Ruby killed was a family member of mine. If I could I would go back in time and try so hard to make sure what happened to her wouldn’t have happened. Then right now rain would be pouring all over this dead land.”

The crafter sighs, nodding.

“There are other dead lands out there, Dunewalker. There is a land in the mountains of Equestria called Wymarnic. A land was made that way by a group called the Blue Hats. I learned this through a strange ghoul detective who came out this way a while ago. He was with two other ponies and I met him when he stopped at Hard Rock.”

A ghoul detective? I heard stories of a detective but never a ghoul one. I wonder if so much is going on with Grogars return maybe many heroes or ponies and others just in general want to be ready just in case.

“I have never heard of this place or this ghoul. I hope if I survive what is coming I can go walk around the world with my family. Because I fully know I will be tired of this land after how I was treated. Even if the curse will be gone.”

The potion maker acts like he has something on his mind.

“Well yeah, I think many of us are going to want to forget about this land for a while. So many of us have been in this land all our lives. We have never been given a chance to just leave and go on vacation. I have a feeling though after all this is said and done most of us won’t get to have a vacation. I will need it big time.”

I laugh weakly. I know he’s right, many of us will never get a vacation from this land. I worry someday even if this land becomes peaceful. It will get too weak to deal with the coming threats if there are any coming threats.

A camel opens the door.

“They’re ready for the walk of the past. They found everything and the drink has been made. Are you sure you’re ready for this Dunewalker, Are you sure you don’t want to back out? We won’t judge you for it.”

I back out? I can just leave never having spoken to those who came before me? I sit there thinking hard, noticing the camel who opened the door to speak to me just standing there waiting. She doesn’t say a word. The emotions on my face were enough for her. So much thinking and trying to make sure it’s the right time to do this.

“I can’t back out now. No matter how much I feel I have to. Just tell me what do I have to do?”

The camel frowns, swinging her head for me to follow. I stand up following her through a strange group of tunnels. These tunnels have the names of many camels who came before us. They have an item connected to them on the wall. A few weapons, even a book for some of them. I am led to a foggy room.

“Now how this works. You’re given the potion that makes your memories real. I warn you, you may not like what you see or hear. This is your only chance to speak to those who came before. I hope you understand it may end with you meeting yourself. If you meet yourself that would mean it’s time to break the Dunewalker curse.”

I have a chance to meet myself to help break the curse? I take a deep breath in the fog. I look up at the camel. I finally notice she has a mask on her face to keep the fumes from entering her nose.

“I will be here to help you till it fully takes effect. This one you don’t drink Dunewalker. You inhale it makes it quicker to get to the brain. When it fully takes effect you will see I will leave because you could hurt me in the process.”

I was confused about what I was about to see. I feel it fully taking effect. I feel dizzy. I feel myself fall to the floor and hear a door close. My vision goes from fuzzy to non-fuzzy. I groan deeply unsure how to handle all this. I groan more, feeling my mind coming back to normal.

“So all these years one of you finally will let me talk to you.”

I look up to see a female camel. I stare at her. She is a sand seeker, one of the first to drink the water from the keepers. She is before all of us and before the Dunewalker. I stood on my paws grunting. I don't know much about her. Just her name and the fact we have little to no memory of her or it was hidden away.

“I see those who came after me have been through more than I ever thought. I am Black Sand. A ruthless female warrior of the sand seekers and I see those who come after me are so weak and unwilling to listen to those who came before.”

I stroke my head staring at the old camel.

“Forgive me, you and the other sand seekers have been lost for years. The one that came after you was the only one allowed to know most of your secrets. So forgive me I know nothing about you rather than your heartlessness.”

Black Sand stares at me. The hatred in the eyes of this war scares me. The sand seeks the broken tribe, one of the first camel tribes to be destroyed by one of the other tribes in the past. She looks around the foggy room laughing.

“So after all these years they did what my leader told them to. Also, excuse my heartlessness? I was a fucking mother to most of you and an elder at most. You young ones have had it too easy even if the world got destroyed because of ponies.”

I groan, sighing.

“I see so why are you the first to come? I was expecting to talk to the first Dunewalker.”

Black Sand stares at me rolling her eyes.

“Dunewalker curse has been around since my time. It was never meant to be used at all. It was created just in case one backstabbed us in the past. I learned after I returned here it was used because one wished to protect their species and lie about it? I am sure there is more reason why it was used than that. Of course, those who knew might be all dead now or refuse to talk about it because they regret it and now you wish to break it?”

I stand on my paws or at least try to. Black Sand gets a very good look at me looking me over and she sighs stroking the cybernetics. I have a feeling this is something she is unhappy to see. I know full well many of them refused to talk to me after this.

“I wish I could understand what this is. Now I don’t know why I am here. Maybe I needed to explain something to you about how to break the Dunewalker curse. It’s not very hard to break it. You need to stand on the brink of death fighting for what you believe in and then scream your name. Scream it loud enough for all to hear then and only then it will break.”

I want her to stay. I need to learn from those who came before. Why I don’t have memories of her. She gets close to walking through the fog. I reach to grab her before she leaves.

“Please tell me why are your memories hidden from the rest of us?”

Black sand turns to look at me a weak smile forming on her face

“I didn’t drink the water neither did my husband. I am only remembered from our offspring; my husband will never be remembered again. Our children all drank it we refused to and then after that, there was a war between the tribes. My husband and I were killed during the war.”

After those words, she walks into the fog and I reach to pull out the next soul. It’s the first Dunewalker I stare into his eyes as he stares into mine. I know the look of a lost soul and one cursed by their species.

“I knew sooner or later I would be seeing another Dunewalker. I want to say I am very sorry for all I caused you.”

I take a deep breath, sigh, and shake my head.

“No, don't worry about it. At least they allowed you to keep your real name back then. I am happy to meet you, Sand Stone.”

The male camel smiles nodding.

“I see so you’re no longer allowed to even say your name? From what I see in your memories you haven’t been a peaceful gal. Oh…”

He frowns.

“The heroes… the heroes who got turned to stone to save us.”

I glance at him. What does he mean by being turned to stone to save us? I knew one of them betrayed the others. Maybe I have been told wrong. He was around during the time of those heroes.

“What do you mean the heroes of the past allowed themselves to be turned to stone to save us?”

SandStone smiles weakly.

“I know what you’re planning on doing my friend. You weakened Crunch and you will release all those who were turned to stone. What do I mean by it though? There was an awful war between so many tribes. The heroes stopped the war by imprisoning each leader. The only way the war would end was if the heroes would be turned to stone. So the story was made up to make it like one of them betrayed the others. The truth is it was our hubris which betrayed them and our pride.”

I didn’t know this of course I wouldn’t have known this. When It comes to the pride of the camel species or memories will refuse to break the idea of pride. I hate when the genetic memory picks and chooses because of pride.

“I am sorry to tell you the truth when you’re about to go to your death to fight Crunch and whoever else will return because of a sand dream. I want to say this to you though you’re stronger than I ever was. I lied and did so much to harm my friends. I will never know the idea and what is to come since I was killed by camels like you and me because they felt I was a threat after the war was over. I can tell you it’s not something I wasn’t expecting. I still feel the stab in the back of my head.”

I sigh softly looking away.

“You aren’t being much help. Just thank you for telling me the heroes of the past will finally be free and maybe they will bring hope to the land no other hero could ever bring.”

SandStone frowns, shaking his head.

“No from what I see in your memories they will be shunned just for being heroes of the past. The only way they will be of help is if they start a resistance to work with the alliance. It’s the only way I can think of. I am sorry. But I have stayed as long as I could for you Dunewalker. I must be going back to sleep now.”

Sleeping with the great sands like a hero always does. To us, death is just asleep with the sands and following the maiden's path till she calls on us again and blows the sand of life back into our lungs. I have never believed such words.

“Normally you would be talking to every camel in your line, Dunewalker. It seems your mind is focusing on only a few things. I wish you luck in destroying the curse. I hope you walk the path of the sand.”

Sandstone walks back into the fog. Coming out of the fog my mother is a beautiful light red female camel. She stares at me with heartlessness in her eyes. She never really dies; she is forced to watch the world age in those trees near the bunker.

“You called me from my punishment, my daughter. Are you going to finally end the Dunewalker curse? Doing so my child will allow me to finally die and never have to be locked in the punishment trees again.”

I hold my breath. I should be angry and pissed at my mother but I can’t be. She needs to know how I feel about her. I am sure she knows. She just stares at me, her face softened from the look on my face.

“You have my blessing to finally break the curse and I am sure those who came before us will agree to it too. Just one last thing you need to face my dear daughter is yourself. Are you willing to face your own heart and your soul?”

No, it’s too soon this went too quickly. I am not ready to face myself. I have no choice though I can only wait so long before I must do what I need to. I know full well the eggs will be laid soon and then hatching will be sooner after. I will not see it sadly I will not see them hatch. I take a deep breath nodding.

“I am ready to face her..”

My mother goes back into the fog coming out of the fog. We just look at each other and there are no words between us. I grab my large sword or I think I do from the fog being this fog. She does the same and all we do is speak with the swing of our blades. Each switch is a word when the blades hit. It’s us screaming so much anger between us even if no words are spoken.

“The battle music, the drumming of the hearts we have. I see what you wish to do, you wish to get rid of me. The Dunewalker you wish to be free, you wish your family and all those after you to be free from this curse.”

I don’t answer with one hard swing of my blade I slice into the flesh of the Dunewlker. This is the first step to getting rid of the curse. Kill the Duneewalker within you than at your lowest at the time of close to your death. You scream your name to the heavens. Dunewalker stands bleeding blood and memories pouring out of the wound she stares at the memories lifting one to my eyes to show it’s of my friendship with Ruby.

“If we see her again. Tell her you’re sorry and to fight with her till the end.”

I grunt and it went too fast. I have been warned if these dream trips go too quickly it could cause memory loss or death. I passed out from the pain of how quickly I went through this walk.

Sometime later I woke up in bed-sitting and a note was left behind. ‘I wish I could be there to see you off. But duty calls I must go to speak with the Alliance about what you have told me about. Go home Dunewalker say goodbye to those you love I know you have a plan to get them to leave then do what you need to. If you survive then allow the maiden to walk with you.’

I set down the letter heading back outside the keeper cavern looking at those who I worked with. Before I leave the potion maker gives me one potion nodding to me.

“Take it and you will speak with Ruby. Take it before your battle.”

I nod heading to the airboat which brought me here. I glance back at the maker. I have a feeling he pulled a fast one on me. I know he mixed potions but I can’t deal with that now. I take a deep breath getting on the airboat.

“Please take me home.”

The airship or boat lifts into the air taking me home. The final battle for me is coming to my fate shall be complete.

Perk added: The dune walker: The Dunewalker is beaten within yourself, say your name during the battle to break the curse and then you shall be free such is your fate.

Next Chapter: Chapter Forty-Three: Call of a hero Dunewalkers fate Mini arc Final Estimated time remaining: 19 Hours, 50 Minutes